I Love You
by Serena Kenobi
Summary: Vader looks back on his past as Princess Leia declares her love for Captain Solo, and he finds that three little words can bother him more than he wants to admit.


**I Love You**

**_By Serena Kenobi_**

_**Rating: T **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. Wish I did, though.**_

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**"_I love you._"**

Up until then, Vader had dispassionately ignored the look of dread on Princess Leia's face, and the Wookiee's cries of sorrow and frustrating anger. To him, it was all war. They were the enemies, and they deserved to be punished for their rebellious acts against the Emperor.

His opinion of the Princess was rather nonchalant – he really didn't care all that much what happened to her. She was a traitor to the Empire. However, he did have to grudgingly admit that she had gall and spirit.

Her companion, however, the smuggler and mercenary Captain Han Solo, was an entirely different matter. The Captain had managed to escape him time and time again; and Vader held a personal grudge against the man for sending his ship spinning into space back at the battle of Yavin.

Vader watched with cold indifference, standing next to the bounty hunter, Boba Fett, as the Rebels were lead to the carbonite chamber. When the order came for Captain Solo to be put into the carbonite, the Wookiee shouted furiously, sending a few stormtroopers crashing to the ground.

"Chewie! Chewie, this won't help me. Hey!" Solo shouted, glaring up at the Wookiee, pulling him back with a stern look. "Save your strength. There'll be another time. The Princess… you have to take care of her. You hear me?"

Vader stared on as the Princess stared up dolefully at the Wookiee, who was beginning to calm down. The creature then wailed a distraught farewell as the stormtroopers cuffed him with binders.

Captain Solo turned to Princess Leia. Vader could not see his face, but the starry look in Princess Leia's eyes told him everything. Without warning, the Captain moved quickly toward the Princess and gave her a final, passionate, loving kiss – but not for long. Solo was pulled away by stormtroopers and placed on the platform, ready to be lowered into the carbonite.

The Princess gazed frantically at Solo, who stared intensely back at her.

Taking a step towards him, she then uttered: "I love you."

Vader stared at her, those three little words having a bigger impact on him than anything had in the past twenty years.

"_I love you."_

Vader shut his eyes, unwilling going back to a long, long time ago, where he saw another strong young woman, who was determined to make a difference in the world, say those three little words.

"I love you."

A handsome young man stared, shocked, back at her. "You love me? I thought we had decided not to fall in love… that we were living a lie. That it would destroy our lives."

The young woman smiled faintly, knowing the truth. "I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway," she answered, and leaned towards him.

Vader, now the young man, felt himself being pulled by a magnetic force towards her.

"I truly, deeply love you," she whispered, gazing up at him with deep brown eyes.

They met in a slow but passionate, heated kiss.

Vader's eyes shot open, his breathing erratic.

"_I love you." _

The Dark Lord of the Sith resisted crying out _her _name right then: _Padmé!_ He felt so guilty, so many regrets. He soon heard another voice inside his head, calling him, mocking him.

"_Stop! Come back… I love you!" _

_I love you, too!_ His heart screamed. _I'll always love you, Padmé! _

"My lord?"

He turned to see Fett staring at him, puzzled.

Vader glanced at Captain Solo and nodded to the workers. The Captain began to lower into the carbonite, still staring at the Princess. She watched him in horror as he disappeared into the steam, the loud noise of the machine doing its job causing her to cringe.

Vader looked as the leader of Bespin City, Lando Calrissian, winced in sorrow when the form of Captain Solo came up, frozen in the chunk of carbonite. It was pushed to the ground, making a loud thump.

The Sith Lord barely noticed a whisper in his head… but he did.

"_I love you." _

"Is he alive, Calrissian?" he boomed, trying to ignore the thoughts that were spinning around in his mind.

The dark-skinned man nodded in relief. "He's alive… and in perfect hibernation," he stated, checking all the readouts on the panel. He stood up.

Vader turned to Fett. "He's all yours, bounty hunter. Reset the chamber for Skywalker."

An Imperial officer came up to them. "Skywalker has just landed, my lord."

Vader nodded. "Good. See to it that he finds his way here. Calrissian, take the Princess and the Wookiee to my ship."

"You said they'd be left in the city under my supervision," Lando protested.

Vader whirled around on him. "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further." But as he strode away, the Dark lord felt a small, unwanted pang in his chest. A pang that he hadn't felt for years.

The words that the Princess had spoken to Solo had unsettled him more than he wanted to admit. He wasn't supposed to be getting emotional about this sort of thing. He was a Sith Lord.

But something… something was creeping up on him, something that would eventually enclose him, wrap him around its warm, embracing touch.

"_I love you." _

Vader shook himself and drew out his lightsaber, ready for combat against his son. He would not deal with this… this emotion right now.

But he would have to… sometime.

"_I love you." _

Padmé Amidala gazed down at her lost, broken husband, and smiled. He would come back. If not now, he would. Someday.

"_I love you," _she whispered down to him.

Vader seemed to hear her, for he turned his helmet slightly. He felt her… her warm, loving presence. It was as if she were here, right now, standing beside him.

"I love you," he murmured.

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Just another little oneshot I thought up. Hope you like it. I love presents, and reviews make great presents! So feel free to give me as many as you like! Lol! Thanks. 


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